More people are becoming interested in how they can manage their aging process with food and supplements. This move toward healthy living is advantageous and also a little confusing. Multiple studies show that what’s on your plate really can heal you – or hurt you. However, it’s not quite this simple. According to statistics, a vast majority of the population is missing the mark. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey revealed that more than 90% of Americans are deficient in vitamin E. More than 55% have a magnesium deficiency.
Why This Matters
Micronutrients, the vitamins and minerals that we consume daily, are crucial to every physiological function of the body. Your body relies on adequate amounts of micronutrients such as vitamins A, C, D, and E, magnesium, and zinc to support:
- Immune function.
- Regulation of systemic inflammation.
- Resistance to free radical damage.
- Healthy hormonal balance.
- Maintained insulin sensitivity.
- Cellular aging.
- Gut, breast, heart, prostate, brain, bone, and skin health.
- Cancer-fighting capabilities.
Numerous symptoms may stem from a deficiency of one or more micronutrients. For example:
- Vitamin E deficiency, which is relatively common, may cause easy bruising and poor wound-healing. Vitamin E is also essential for healthy hair and skin.
- Calcium deficiency is also considered very common. Without enough calcium, there is a higher risk for osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, acute anxiety, and irritability.
- Another prevalent deficiency is magnesium. Low levels of this mineral are associated with irregular heart rhythm, muscle cramps, and frequent nausea.
The Value of Testing
You may question why you wouldn’t just take a daily vitamin to get the micronutrients you need to function at optimal capacity. This is a great question to ask. The reason experts recommend that we all know which nutrients we are using efficiently and which we are not is that we only need so much. If your body is getting and using calcium from the foods you eat but is deficient in magnesium, a multivitamin is providing more than what your body really needs. Getting too much of any micronutrient could mean that normal physiological functions become altered and health suffers.
Nutrient testing provides valuable data that can help you support cellular health and aging with ease. To learn more about this service, call our Scottsdale office at (480) 771-7771.
